Volvo's new electric truck can do 600 km in one charge

After first announcing they were going to release a long-range version of its FH Electric Truck, Volvo has officially revealed the FH Aero Electric, and it's designed for the long haul without the carbon emissions guilt.

The new long-distance electric truck from Volvo will formally launch in 2026, with the company also set to start taking orders. It was designed for long-haul transport assignments, a segment that stands for a big part of truck transport CO2 emissions, and which has been challenging to electrify – until now.

Not only is it capable of traveling up to 600 km on a single charge, but Volvo also claims its battery supports fast-charging capacity, which can be recharged in just 40 minutes. This is made possible thanks to the new MCS (Megawatt Charging System) standard, which allows the truck's battery to be recharged from 20% to 80% in approximately 40 minutes. This also translates to higher productivity and shorter downtimes.

When it comes to hauling, the new electric truck can have a total weight of 48 tonnes and has a payload capacity close to that of a conventional diesel truck. The payload capacity is possible thanks to an extra supporting tag axle (6x2 axle configuration) that allows for more batteries onboard and provides benefits in terms of weight distribution, considering the weight of the extra batteries in combination with heavy trailers.

In addition, the ability of Volvo's new electric truck to cover long distances is enabled by its new driveline technology, the so-called e-axle, which creates space for significantly more battery capacity onboard. The new FH Aero Electric can have 8 batteries onboard with 780 kWh installed battery capacity.

“This is a real breakthrough in zero-emission transport. Now, transport companies can operate really long distances with electric trucks without having to compromise on productivity. The superfast charging and high payload capacity make this a very competitive solution. Electric trucks in long-haul operation will make an important contribution to reduce CO2 in our industry, since this is where you can save the most per truck. This is positive news for transport companies and for society,” said Roger Alm, Volvo Trucks president.

The new Volvo GH Aero Electric will be available in standard cab and will serve as an important addition to Volvo Trucks' offering of electric trucks and related services. These include evaluation of suitable routes to electrify, efficient charging of electric trucks on the road and in the home depot, to detailed follow-up of the performance of the electric truck fleet.

Volvo Trucks is looking to transition towards fossil-free transport to reach its net-zero emissions target by 2040 using a three-path technology strategy. This consists of battery electric, fuel cell electric, and combustion engines that run on renewable fuels like green hydrogen (produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity), biogas, biodiesel, or HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil).